


I'm Waiting For That Slow Dance, So I Can Put My Arms Around You

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dark Past, First Kiss, First Meetings, Introspection, Love at First Sight, M/M, Matchmaking, Meet-Cute, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27300388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: Harry isn't a big party person, but agrees to come to Fitzy and Dundy's party despite not expecting much and anticipating leaving after an hour. Yet after hesitating, he literally gets run over by another hesitant party goer.Who despite everything, charms Harry, and ends up changing the trajectory of their night for the better.
Relationships: Commander James Fitzjames/Lt Henry T. D. Le Vesconte, Henry Collins/Harry D. S. Goodsir
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	I'm Waiting For That Slow Dance, So I Can Put My Arms Around You

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired mostly by Saint Motel's "Slow Dance", my love for Harry and Collins, and my own reluctance to be at parties. I wanted a modern meet cute and the song fit perfectly. Title is from the same song.

Harry walked up the steps of Fitzjames and Dundy’s house wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into. He wasn’t really a big party person and would have gladly spent the evening at home reading with a mug of tea by his elbow. 

It had been a trying week and he wasn’t even sure how he had managed to make it through the day itself and show up here at his colleagues’ house for a party. A party that Fitzy had assured him would be nothing like the ones that Harry had only heard stories of. 

Stories that made him wonder exactly how Dundy and Fitzjames managed to get anything else done in their lives. Harry shook his head, smiling to himself as he looked up at the steps. The muffled sounds of music and laughter spilled out on the street and for a moment, Harry was tempted to turn around and take the train back home. 

He would have. In fact, he had just turned to go when another party goer crashed into him, making him stumble a couple of steps and lose his balance. 

“Oh Christ! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention. Are you alright?” 

He would have smashed into the walk if he hadn’t been grabbed and yanked back to his feet, the other person’s hand holding onto him until he was securely on his feet again. 

It took Harry a few seconds to get his bearings back again and blink at the person that had nearly knocked him on his arse. 

He was a big man, wearing a dark Royal Navy coat over a cream cable knit jumper that made him look bigger and intimidating. An impression that was contradicted by the expression on his face, which was concerned and distraught as he checked Harry over. 

Harry got the impression of dark eyes and stubble in a pleasant face that maybe once upon a time was used to smiling, but was now drawn with sadness and anxiety. Something that was quite obvious and clung to the man despite his best intentions to suppress it. 

There was a tightness around his eyes and mouth and Harry had the feeling that if he said he was anything but fine, the man would probably burst into tears. He had that melancholic air about him and Harry didn’t have it in him to break the little control the man had. 

“Yes. Yes. You startled me, that’s all. No harm done.”

The other man nodded, his shoulders straightening as the weight of his worry was lifted from him. 

“Good. I was just...I was determined to get to the party, you see. I was afraid that if I didn’t just go for it, I’d turn around and leave,” the man explained, running his hands jerkily through his curls as he spoke. 

Harry’s eyes widened at the mention of the party and he turned to look at the house and back to the man in front of him. 

“Wait, Fitzy’s and Dundy’s party?” 

The man nodded, “Yeah, uh, Dundy invited me. We work in the same faculty and I actually am not a party person, but I like Dundy and thought maybe I could give it a go.”

Harry nodded as he tried to place his companion. Surely he would remember someone as striking and full of contradictions as this man appeared to be. But why wasn’t it coming to him? He tried a few more times until he finally gave up and cringed inwardly for asking. 

He was so caught up in trying to put a face to the name when he was beaten to it.

“Did Fitzy invite you, then? Cause I don’t recall you working with Dundy at all.” 

Harry laughed, “Yeah. I do. I’m Harry Goodsir. One of the marine biologists?” Harry added, hoping that would jog the other’s memory. 

“Oh! Okay! I heard Dundy say something about that when I got back! And I’m Henry Collins. I’m an oceanographer.”

Henry added, holding out his hand for Harry to shake after he had introduced himself. Harry took it, still trying to place Henry when it finally clicked in his head. 

“Henry! Right! Fitzy mentioned you would be here. I’ve mostly heard of you. Weren’t you abroad for most of last semester? Iceland?”

Henry gave a nod at that and Harry laughed a bit. “Explains it then. I had just gotten hired when you were away. Did you just get back then?”

Harry’s question was obviously not what Henry had been expecting, since it took him a bit to gather himself together before he answered. 

The way he acted made Harry wonder what exactly he was expecting to hear. And exactly how many times had he heard it on top of that. 

“Yeah...I did just get back. That’s kind of why I decided to come to the party. Even if I’m not as extroverted as Dundy and Fitzy are.” 

“Yeah, I hear you on that. I decided it was just a bit too sad to come home to clean and watch Netflix with my cats on a Friday night and Fitzy’s a force unto himself. So I’m here,” Harry explained, making Henry wince, then laugh softly at that. 

“That actually sounds like a good time. Minus the cleaning. I do that on Saturday,” Henry added, making Harry snort a laugh.

Henry grinned, looking pretty pleased with himself at making Harry laugh. Seeing him like that made Harry look at him yet again and notice that Henry Collins was actually a pretty nice looking man after all. And when he grinned, he was even more so. 

“Saturday’s for the D and D Campaigns, actually. Sunday’s for planning and marking. You know how it is,” Harry added, making Henry’s grin widen. 

“Indeed I do. So shall we go in? We made it this far, might as well go all the way. What do you say?”

“Yeah...Alright. Sounds like a plan. And if it gets to be too much...Would you be interested in going to a pub after?Or maybe next week?”

Henry blinked and was so still that Harry wondered if he had been too bold and overplayed his hand. He was opening his mouth to apologise and play it off, maybe turn to leave when Henry laughed again. 

“And here I thought this was going to end in disaster and instead, I ended up with a proposition from a handsome bloke. So yes. A hundred times. Yes.”

Harry breathed out a sigh of relief and opened his mouth to ask what pub when the door opened to reveal Dundy and Fitzy standing behind him.

“Collins! Goodsir! You guys going to stand out there all night? Get in here, will you?”

“Yeah, yeah, Dundy! We’re coming in!” Henry shouted out, turning to go inside. 

“Harry?”

Harry took the hint and followed with alacrity. 

Maybe he wouldn’t need to bail out in an hour after all. 

And certainly not bail out alone either.

~*~*~*~

Harry squinted at the clock on the wall, trying to figure out exactly what time it was as he sipped on his second mojito of the night. He was sure it was more than a couple of hours and he still didn’t feel the need to bail out. 

The conversation was good, Dundy’s house was nicer than he had expected and he found himself having a good time with both Henry and the various people milling about the place. He gave up checking the time to look over at Henry, who was talking to Fitzy across the table from him. A half drunk glass of whiskey was in his hand and his face was slightly flushed as he and Fitzy talked, both laughing at something or other and Harry allowed himself a small smile before sliding his gaze away. 

“Having fun?” 

He nearly spat out his drink when Dundy appeared at his elbow, wearing (for some obscure reason, which he _still_ hadn’t found the answer to) a gold crown askew on his silver hair. 

“I was until you scared the crap out of me,” Harry replied after he had managed to swallow and not choke. Dundy laughed ruefully and nudged him, taking a sip of his own driink that was strong enough to make Harry’s eyes water. 

“Yeah, not my intention. More like checking up on you,” Dundy admitted, making Harry’s stomach churn at the admission. 

Dundy shook his head and turned to look straight in Harry’s eyes. 

“Not going to lie. Fitzy and I hoped you’d both show up. Maybe even meet. You both had a rough go at it lately,” Dundy added, taking a large swallow, wincing as the alcohol went down. 

Harry sighed. He honestly wished that Dundy hadn’t brought it up. He glanced down at the scars on his wrists and for a split second, wished he hadn’t come to the party.

“Hey, “ he looked up at Dundy, who had gotten closer and was looking at him with the earnestness of the pretty intoxicated, “It wasn’t my intention to remind you of what happened. I’m glad you’re here. Even if we haven’t talked much before this.”

Harry smiled wryly. He knew Dundy in his own clumsy way was concerned. He was genuinely trying to make sure they had a good time and was obviously glad that Harry and Henry had taken the incentive to appear. Even if they were still more keen to hide than anything else. 

What he didn’t know was what Henry’s damage was. Nor did he eally want to. 

If Dundy had made the effort to get him out of his shell and was treating him carefully...Harry had to assume it was bad. Maybe as bad as his. 

“I know.”

Dundy drank deeply again and clapped Harry on his shoulder, shaking his head as the lights dimmed and music started up.

“Dundy?” Fitzy appeared, looking only slightly less inebriated than his partner. He noticed Harry and smiled brightly at him before his eyes slid past towards Dundy. 

Dundy caught the hint, but didn’t want to leave without checking with Harry. He nodded to Harry, “You good?”

“Yeah.”

Harry saw Henry appear from a side door, their eyes locking from across the room. Dundy followed his gaze and laughed quietly when he saw where Harry was looking. 

“You definitely are,” Dundy agreed softly, moving to stand beside Fitzy.

They looked at each other, ignoring Harry in favour of embracing each other and swaying to the song that was currently playing. 

Harry left them to it and looked for Henry again, finding him standing on the edge of the room. 

Once their eyes met again, Henry came striding forward, his expression determined as he headed towards Harry. 

Harry watched him, his pulse beating to the beat of the song that was playing, the rest of the people in the room forgotten as he focused on Henry. 

Henry, who had finally arrived and was standing in front of him. 

They looked at each other, the lyrics swimming past Harry as he watched Henry hold out his hand. Harry took it and Henry pulled him into his arms. 

Something about waiting to feel arms around you and waiting for romance. Which Harry realised right then and there, was exactly what _he_ was expecting to happen.

He looked up just in time to see the same expectation on Henry’s face, right before he kissed Harry. 

And Harry forgot anything else but the feel of Henry’s arms and the taste of his lips on his own.


End file.
